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Archive for the ‘Investment Commentary’ Category
2021 Q1 Review and Outlook: “I believe that markets will fluctuate.”
The U.S. stock market continued to climb out of and above the hole it dug in 2020, with the S&P 500 SPDR ETF (SPY) gaining 6.4% in the 1st quarter. The U.S. bond market (as measured by the US Aggregate Bond ETF – AGG) declined 3.4%, and a 60% stock/40% bond portfolio gained 2.5%. For…
Ask a Trust Officer: Roth IRA versus Traditional IRA
DEAR TRUST OFFICER: I have $6,000 to put into an IRA before I file my tax return for 2020. Which is better, the traditional IRA or the Roth IRA? — TARDY SAVER DEAR TARDY: There is no simple answer to your question, unfortunately. Do you qualify for the tax deduction for the contribution…
Your Asset Allocation Depends On Your Financial Plan (and not the other way around)
~ Douglas R. Mewhirter, CFA, Vice President – Portfolio Manager One of the most common questions an investor will ask an advisor is “how much of my money should I have in stocks vs. bonds?” From an investing point of view, that is one of the most important questions you need to ask. Stocks have earned the highest…
2020 Q4 Review and Outlook: A Very Good/Very Bad Year
Imagine two archivists sifting through old stock charts 1,000 years from now and saying to each other “2020 must have been a great year!” The U.S. stock market finished a very bad year on a very strong note, with the S&P 500 SPDR ETF (SPY) gaining 12.1% in the 4th quarter. The U.S. bond market (as measured…
Annuities: Approach with Caution (Free Dinners Aren’t Free)
Have you ever received a mailer about a “free dinner” at a local restaurant? All you must do to earn your $50 steak and $12 glass of cabernet sauvignon is listen to a “financial advisor” give you a pitch about “strategies to protect your nest-egg,” or “how to ensure a stress-free retirement in these turbulent…
2020 Q3 Review and Outlook
Keep Your Politics Out Of Your Portfolio The stock market had a decent 3rd quarter, with the S&P 500 SPDR ETF (SPY) gaining 9.0%. The U.S. bond market (as measured by the US Aggregate Bond ETF – AGG) eked out a 0.4% gain, and a 60% stock/40% bond portfolio gained 5.6%. Despite 2020 being…2020, investors…
Managing Your Assets in Turbulent Times
Have questions or concerns about your assets during this volatile market environment? This brochure offers context for the current situation, with informed observations on how we may help you to respond to it.
2020 Q2 Review and Outlook
The Nike Swoosh or the Square Root? The U.S. stock market’s trend in the second quarter of 2020 was a mirror image of the first quarter’s, with the S&P 500 SPDR ETF (SPY) gaining 20.2% vs. a 19.5% drop in 1Q. The U.S. bond market (as measured by the US Aggregate Bond ETF – AGG) gained 3.1% (matching…
2020 Q1 Review and Outlook
“There are decades when nothing happens, and there are weeks when decades happen.” This quote (by Vladimir Lenin of all people) pretty much sums up the first quarter of 2020, as governments around the world instituted draconian methods to slow the pace of the spread of the Coronavirus (a.k.a. COVID-19). These actions are in essence…
Coronavirus Update from the Investment Department: Our Top Priorities Right Now
We hope you are all doing ok and staying safe during this crazy time. Although we are working remotely, we are still hard at work managing your portfolios and the administrators are hard at work ensuring that you get what you need when you need it. The stock and bond markets have been on a…